This classy revival of a gothic pile right on Windermere’s waterfront opened at the end of 2023 and is exactly what the local tourist scene has been so desperately lacking. Its grand interiors, complete with minstrels’ galleries, elaborately carved oak panelling and stained glass manage to be opulent and yet winningly informal. The bar is as sexy as any city big-hitter, there’s a cinema with daily screenings and complimentary popcorn and bedrooms that are layered with thoughtful touches including binoculars for closer inspection of life on the lake (most rooms have lake views). The redevelopment of its historic garden and the opening of a spa is next on the agenda.
Overall score 9/10
Main photo: Langdale Chase in Cumbria
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Rooms and suites
Score 9/10
There are 21 rooms in the main house, eight in the modern Lakehouse and one suite in the historic Boat House where you wake to the sound of waves. Even the smallest room is surprisingly spacious and while many retain original features such as stained glass and tiled fireplaces, the mood board is thoroughly modern, with a calming palette of blues and greens for the ikat, tweed and twill fabrics and flamboyant botanical wallpapers. Most have baths in their marble, en suite bathrooms for that all-important post-hike soak, with several tubs positioned by windows, and all have binoculars to help turn you into a birdspotter. There’s also a selection of books for idling, complimentary minibars stocked with water and beers, and more free snacks in the corridor pantries.
Food and drink
Score 9/10
There’s a dine-anywhere informality here. Celebrating couples will gravitate to the cocktail bar, which harks back to the house’s 1930s heyday, with intricate ceiling and wainscot plasterwork, a sweep of sparkling pewter counter and a grandstanding scumble-glazed fireplace that wouldn’t look out of place as a cathedral altar. Others might prefer to tuck up by a window in one of the floral sitting rooms or go traditional with a table in the sleek restaurant. Dining options range from three formal courses, with super-sweet heritage beetroot balanced by horseradish sorbet, followed by butter-poached cod with smoked turnip and finishing with a seriously fluffy passionfruit soufflé; or you can kick back with superior comfort food that includes a wagyu beef burger, chicken pie and prawn pasta dish.
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What else is there?
Score 8/10
Take your pick from paddleboarding, wild swimming, boating and kayaking. The head gardener will guide you around the grounds, which were originally laid out by Thomas Hayton Mawson, who designed the gardens for the Peace Palace in the Hague. There are cellar wine tastings and three screenings daily in the dinky hotel cinema, with help-yourself ice creams, popcorn and bento boxes.
Where is it?
Score 9/10
Sitting between Windermere and Ambleside, there are walks from the door, easy forays into the towns and attractions such as the Beatrix Potter museum and the Windermere Jetty Museum close by.
Price B&B doubles from £290
Restaurant mains from £19.50
Family-friendly Y
Dog-friendly Y
Accessible Y
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